Thermostatic controller for heating apparatus.



H. D. ONEALL.

THERMOSTATIC CONTROLLER FOR HEATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. l. I915.

1,217,049. Patented Feb. 20,1917. 0,,

o Q 0 0 'k 0 N O N Q i? W I TNESSES: 1 VENT OR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH D. ONEALL, OF CANAL DOVER, OHIO. I

THERMOSTATIC CONTROLLER FOR HEATING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH D. ONEALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at .Canal Dover, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermostatic Controllers for Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to regulators for heaters, and it has for one of its objects the provision of improved mechanism whereby the combustion or fire of the heater may be controlled to maintain the heat produced by the heater substantially uniform, or at least within certain defined limits.

The invention has, furthermore, for an object the provision, in connection with the heater, of an expansible medium held in contact with the heater and the expansible properties ofwhich are taken advantage of to control the open or closed positions of the fuel door or the door of the ash pit for regulating the draft through the heater.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and be particularly defined in the claims.

The invention has been clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar characters denote similar parts, and

i in which Figure 1- is a front view of a heater equipped with my improved mechanism, and

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a heater which may be of any suitable construction and the front portion of which is preferably of the egg type resting upon the base 11 which may be of any suitable construction.

Formed on or secured to the heater shell. near the front face thereof, are a pair of lugs 12 which constitute abutments or resting places for a pair of expansible members shown herein as band irons 13 with their lower ends secured to the lugs 12 respectively and lying closely against the shell of the heater, this position being maintained by any suitable devices such as pins 14 held in brackets 15 secured to the outer surfaces of the lateral. walls of the shell of the heater so as to permit sliding movement of the bands 13 beneath the same.

As the heat generated in the shell 10 inbands will move upwardly, provided that Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Serial No. 5,522.

,of the bands 13 are therefore utilized to control the positions of the doors of the heater and also of the ash pit, it being understood that when the fuel door is closed and the ash pit door is open, the heater will obtain increased draft and therefore produce more heat, while, on the other hand, when the fuel door is slightly opened amk the ash pit door is closed, the draft through the heater will be checked.

The means for controlling the draft through the intervention of the ash pit door consists preferably of a horizontal shaft 16 journaled on a pair of knife edges 17 17 on a post or standard 17 which may be secured to the base plate 18 of the furnace.

The shaft 16 has an arm 20 the lower end of which is disposed behind a lug 21 carried by the door of the ash pit which is preferably a trapdoor 22 hinged on the main ash pit door as at 22. It being understood that the trap 22- is self-closing by gravity, it follows then that when the arm 20 is moved rearwardly by any means, said door 22 will be permitted to close and shut off the draft through the opening controlled. by said door.

Extending rearwardly from the shaft 16 is a lever 23 provided with a weight 2st which may be adjusted on said arm so as to a little more than counterbalance the closing weight of the door 22 so as to normally tend to open said door, and the upper ends of the bands 13 above. referred to are connected with thislever 23 so that when these bands expand, said lever23 will be raised and allow the door 22 to close.

This connection consists preferably of a link 25 having a knifeedge connection with the lever 23 and a, sim il-ar connection at its upper end with a l 6, the other end of which is connected 'b ,a link 27 with a bar 28 connected with the floor or base plate 18 by a rod or link 29 or the connecting momber' direct, if so desired.

The purpose of the bar 28 is topermi't j hand-regulating' of the entire. mechanism so a as to vary the 'zones ofheat limits to the de- (sired degrees, as for instance by a regulator mencing with the link 27"and ending withthe regulator, are merely means for holding per ends of the bands 13.

the right-hand end 26 of the lever 26 against movement.

Different means may be employed for connecting the upper ends of the bands 13 with the intermediate portion of the lever 26 so as to produce a rising and falling movement of the end 26 of the lever and the bar con nected therewith, and, inasmuch as it is desired that the movement of the end 26 be magnified or increased to produce the desired results, T have illustrated in Fig. 1 a multiplying device comprising a compound linkage for the purpose. The construction and method of operation of same is as follows, viz., a bracket 33 is mounted upon the face of the heater shell at the upper end thereof and provides a bearing for a-rock spindle 34 extending transversely of the up- Said rock spindle 34 is provided at its rear end with a right angular extension or arm 35 adapted to be lifted (in an are relatively to the axis of said rock spindle) by the expansible band which it overlies, thus rotating said spindle, the opposite end of which has a second angular extension 36, the arcuate motion being imparted by said second extension to a vertical link connected thereto, the latter thus being .caused to lift' what may be termed an equalizer, indicated at 38, which mayby the mechanism here described, partake of the maximum of expansive force obtained from eitherband 13, should the expansion of same be unequal. The central portion 39 of the equalizer 38 is formed in the shape of a knife edge and supports the lever 26 in the manner shown. In order to prevent lateral displacement of the supporting edge 39, the bracket 33 may be provided with a vertical stud 40 on which the upper extension of the equalizer 39 may slide. f

The right-hand band 13 abuts against the lever 41 formed on a spindle 42 the forward end of which carries a lever 43 connected by a link 44 with the right-hand end of the- In the present instance ll obtain three distinct positionings of the fuel and ash pit doors, as follows: The ash pit door may be open while the fuel door remains closed, or both doors may be closed, or the ash pit door may be closed while the fuel door is open, the latter condition being effected by an arm 45 extending upwardly from the shaft 16 and extending in a direction opposite to that of the ash pit door lever 20, the arm 45 playing in the space behind the lug 46 on the fuel door 47 which latter is hinged at 48 and so disposed as to normally close the fuel opening, when not engaged by'the arm 45.

From the above it will be understood that when the bands 13 expand under heat, the shaft 16 will be rocked, firstly to move the door 22 to its closed position and thus'check the fire, and secondly'to further check the draft by operating the fuel door 47.

Changes may be made in the general organization as well as in the particular con struction of some of the elements of my improved mechanism, without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially in the manner of operatively connecting the up per ends of the expansible members with the medium whereby the door of the ash pit is moved. Likewise it should be understood that the mechanism need not necessarily be applied to the upper and lower doors of the heater to produce the regulation because other draft members may be operated by this mechanism with equal facility.

I claim 1. The combination with a heater having a draft opening anda closure therefor, of expansion members havinglongitudinal contact with the outer surface of the shell of the heater and adapted to be expanded by the heater, the intermediate portions of said controlling member snugly contacting with said wall and adapted to be expanded longitudinally by heat radiated from said heater irrespective of the expansion of the latter, means for rigidly securing one end of said controlling inember to said heater wall, and

I means for connecting the opposite end thereof with said closure for moving the latter to its open or closed position in response to changes in the length of said controlling member due solely to the changes in temperature of said heater.

3. A heater having a draft opening, a hinged closure therefor, a controlling mem her having one free end and with its opposite end secured to a Wall of said heater, the intermediate portions thereof snugly contacting with said Wall and adapted to be expanded longitudinally by heat radiated from said heater irrespective of the expansion of the latter, means for rigidly securing one end of said member to said heater wall, means for connecting the opposite end thereofwith said closure member for moving the latter to its open or closed position relative to changes in length of said member due solely to the changes in temperature in said heater and means interposed between said controlling member and said closure member for magnifying the movement of the free end of said controlling member.

4. The combination with a heater having a draft opening and a closure therefor, of a band iron having one end thereof secured to the heater shell and having a longitudinal surface contact therewith, a lever fulcrumed near one end thereof and operatively connected near its central portion with the free end of said band, means for connecting the free end of said lever with and for operating said closure, and means-for magnifying the movement of the free end of the expansion member to produce a corresponding increase in the movement-of said lever.

The combination with a heater having a fire door and an ash door, of an expansible band secured with one end to the heater shell, a lever, means for connecting the free end of said band with and for moving said lever, and means for connecting one end of said lever with said doors, respectively, to first close the ash door and subsequently opening the fire doorduring and by the movement of the free end of the expansion member under the influence of heat.

6. The combination with a heater having a draft opening, a closure therefor, a pair of expansion members disposed at opposite sides of the heater shell and secured with their lower ends thereto, and resting against the outer surface of said shell, an equalizer connected with the upper free ends of said expansion members, a lever fulcrumed at one end and supported intermediate its ends 011 said equalizer, and means for connecting the free end of said lever with said draft closure.

7 The combination with a heater having a draft opening and a closure therefor, band irons in longitudinal contact throughout their length with the outer surface of the heater shell and each secured at one end to said shell, means for holding said bands movably in contact with said shell, a lever adapted to be actuated indirectly by the expansive force of said band irons, means for connecting said lever with said closure, and means for equalizing the actuating impulses of the band irons.

In testimony whereof I ,afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses;

HUGH, D. OlllilAlLL.v

lVitnesses: v. i i

i H. R. CAPPELL, a S. R. RosENBnRRY. I 

